Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton was so fun! I love rap music, from this era especially. I love Dre and Ice Cube. It was just a great time revisiting this time and learning a bit more than I had known about how these young artists managed to break through and change the music industry and the trajectory of their own lives in the process.

I thought the performances were really strong. I could easily see putting Corey Hawkins or O'Shea Jackson Jr. in the Supporting Actor category instead of Mark Rylance. In all the #OscarSoWhite controversy I've been wondering if the performances were on the screen this year and then got ignored by the academy? Or if the real problem is that not enough diverse projects are even being green lit. A bit of both, I guess.

I love how the film builds to their concert performance of "Fuck the Police". I don't care how white, sheltered and oblivious you might be, by the time that song comes on, you've got to at least be nodding your head approvingly, right? I do regret running out to spray paint a cop car right then...but only because I may have missed a scene or two.

Strangely enough, Original Screenplay is the only Oscar recognition for Straight Outta Compton. And I felt like the writing fell apart at the end of this movie. There is a scene where Easy-E is breaking up with Paul Giamatti (as a manager, of course) and it was one of the most awkward scene I have viewed this year! Sometimes when I'm watching a movie, I get real still and my eyes go wide and I just wish I could re-edit the train wreck that is happening right in front of me. Usually I get that feeling when watching a scene in a movie I have edited; one I really think I could have down better. But I got that feeling watching this scene, too.

There were a few scenes from here on out that left me a little puzzled, like the film makers ran out of steam. But biopics are hard! Real life doesn't always hand us the neat little packages that play out perfectly on screen. Small complaints, aside, I was very happy to have seen this film.

Also? A father of a student at my kids' school has a small role in this film. Ice Cube tells him to "eat a dick" during an interview, and now it's so hard for me not to say that when I see him on campus! But I'm thinking it, Rob, I'm thinking it!